That remark confused Tanaka? What did loving him have to do with
throwing her life away? She asked and got a startling answer;
"Everyone I ever love dies." He warned. "I loved my parents and they
died. I loved the people who took me in when I was orphanned and now
they're dead, too. Now, please, stop loving me. Your life depends on it."
That shook her pretty badly, but wasn't enough to deter her.
"I'll die eventually anyhow without loving you." She told him, "So I
might as well love you while I can."
"Have it your way." He snorted at her. But within him, his heart
ached more than ever. True love was, at last, in his grasp, but he dared
not reach out for it. He was right about the ones he loved dying. He'd
seen it on a far off world, when a madman had killed his parents and his
people, and again in a distant place where an escaped supercriminal had
murdered his friends and colleagues. Now that supercriminal was on its
way to this planet and he was the planet's... the universe's... only
hope. He had watched the others, and he knew they had enough power to
stop Kain if they knew how to harness it, but Ryoko and Ayeka were always
fighting and he was sure that they didn't have the discipline or the
ability to work together that would be needed to do the job. No, he told
himself, it's up to me. I have to stop him, even if it means I myself must
die.
The teacher ahemed loudly and Tanaka returned her attention to the
front of the classroom. The teacher ahemed, again, this one meant for
'Naoki'. In his mind, 'Naoki' considered ignoring the teacher. It didn't
matter whether he passed or failed this class, after all he was only
there to bide time until he confronted his foe. When his enemy had been
vanquished, he'd return to his own ... he remembered, then, that he had
no place to return to and he sank even deeper into a state of depression.
Anger boiled in him and rage came, once again, into his eyes. Well, he
reasoned to himself, in a few days his enemy would be dead, and chances
were so would he. He didn't care about that, however. All that he cared
about was destroying the vile demon and avenging the brave men and women
it had slain.
-Chapter 2-
The ride to Tokyo had not been uneventful. During the trip there had
been a malfunction on one of the cars. At least, that's what the students
had been told. However, the truth of the matter was, 'Naoki' knew full well,
that his classmates Ryoko and Ayeka had gotten into a fight and that the
resulting power surge had shorted out the train. He had toyed with the idea
of teleporting to Tokyo, but Tanaka had seated herself next to him and would
not take her eyes off of him, and so it had been impossible to teleport
without being seen. He had tried to distract her many times with ploys such
as "Those flowers over there look very nice" but she would simply reply "Not
as nice as you." and continue looking at him. Then she had rested her head
on his shoulder and had fallen asleep. He'd been about to teleport when two
things happened in rapid succession. Tanaka, jostled when he moved his arm,
woke up, and the train started moving again. He gave up on the idea of using
his teleport and pretended to go to sleep. To his chagrin, he felt Tanaka
snuggle up to him, place her head on his shoulder again, and fall back to
sleep herself.
'Naoki' had still been sleeping when Tanaka had woke. He was far from at
peace, however. His hands were gripping the arms of the seat and his head
was lolling from side to side. Oddly, there was none of the sweat usually
associated with nightmares on his brow. His head turned so that he was
facing her and then moaned, fitfully, in his sleep.
Tanaka shook him, gently, trying to rouse him, but he took her wrist
suddenly, still locked in his nightmare, and his grip was as strong as that
of a steel claw.
"'Naoki'! WAKE UP!" she screamed in pain.
'Naoki''s exotic eyes flew open and he released her wrist, spinning his
face away from the glaring sunlight that was pouring through the train's
window, signaling the morning.
"'Naoki'?" Tanaka asked, concerned.
"My eyes." 'Naoki' explained, sounding less closed-off than before. "The
sun hurts them."
"Because of the shape of your pupils." Tanaka realized.
"Yes." 'Naoki' admitted. He took her hand, gently this time, and studied
the deepening bruise on her wrist. "I'm sorry." he told her.
"It's okay." She reassured him for the second time. This time she took
him in her arms and rocked him. And in the arms of this student, 'Naoki' found
at last the tenderness and compassion his life had lacked.
They spent the following day together, visitting the many museums which
dotted Ueno Park and enjoying a quiet lunch together. 'Naoki''s manners were
impeccable, this time, and Tanaka realized that he must've had other things
on his mind, or maybe he was only that way when he ate tough meats. Whatever
the case, Tanaka's love for 'Naoki' grew tenfold over the course of the day.
"When we were in school, I told you I loved you." Tanaka told him as they
strolled along the path leading to one of the art museums. "Now, I'm sure of
it."
'Naoki' stopped and turned Tanaka toward him. His eyes were full of deep
sorrow and pain. He gazed into her eyes and spoke, softly.
"I know," he told her genty, "and I think if the circumstances had been
different that I would have loved you, too. I thank you for your kindness,
but I cannot return it, nor can I return your love."
"Your lips deny a love that your eyes are screaming." Tanaka replied as
she pressed her own lips to them. 'Naoki''s own lips remained still, and
seemed cold, almost lifeless. For a moment, Tanaka wondered if he might be
a vampire, with his cold lips, alabaster skin, and exotic animal eyes, but
then she decided that such a thing was silly. There was no such thing as
vampires or monsters from outer space. This was just a boy with a few odd
quirks about his appearance. No doubt his skin was easily sunburned, and he
had explained that the light hurt his eyes. So, he rarely went out into the
sunlight and its warm never penetrated his skin, that's why it was a little
cooler than usual.
A disapproving cough caught Tanaka by surprise and she turned to find
one of the teachers standing there, looking sternly at her and tapping her
foot. "I think we need to have a little talk, young lady." the elderly
Japanese woman said, strictly, as she lead Tanaka away.
"I love you, 'Naoki'." Tanaka called back to him as she was lead away.
'Naoki' watched her go. "I love you, too." he replied, too softly for her
to hear. "I always will."
-Chapter 3-
'Naoki' tossed a few breadcrumbs to a flock of doves that surrounded him.
He gazed down at them, serenely, watching their beauty as they dined on
the meal he'd given them. The birds seemed to be a family and he found
himself longing for a family of his own. Not the makeshift family he'd had
for years with his friends and colleagues, but a real family with a wife
and children of his own.
He smiled to himself as he thought of Tanaka, the pretty young student
who had fallen in love with him.
'Tomorrow,' he told himself, 'after my enemy has been vanquished, I
shall ask her to marry me. I know she'll say yes. I just know it!' He
looked at the doves who were still pecking at the remaining breadcrumbs,
then sensed that he was being watched. He looked up, his eyes glistening
with happiness, hoping to spot Tanaka. Instead, across the field, he saw
the blue haired girl glaring at him.
"He's a spy!!" She shouted, as she suddenly sped toward him, floating
slightly off the ground and moving at high speed in his direction. The
bench split in two as she passed through it.
"Exceeding the speed limit, destruction of property, interfering with
a criminal investigation, assaulting a police officer" he thought to
himself, running off a list of charges he could pin on the meddlesome
demoness as he sped down the path. He managed to outrun her, which surprised
even him since he'd heard she was incredibly fast, but it had all but worn
him out and eventually he'd resorted to using a cloaking field to hide
himself from her.
'Naoki' and Tanaka were out together that evening, when 'Naoki' turned to
Tanaka. "Tanaka," he told her, "would you do the honor of becoming my wife?"
Tanaka gazed at him, her eyes full of delight, and nodded. "Yes."
'Naoki''s heart leaped with joy. "Wait here," he told her. "I'll be
right back." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of Tanaka's nose, then
walked off. He strolled through the crowd toward the young couple he had
been keeping watch over all week. He had to warn Achika of the impending
danger, get her out of there before any harm could come to her. But then,
when he finally reached her, he realized that he had no idea what to say.
The truth would be simply too unbelievable. But he simply could not lie to
Lady Achika. That would, in his heart, be unforgivable.
"Um..." he started to say, but nothing else emerged from his lips. He
looked over and saw Ryoko, he had checked on her identity earlier and now
he knew who she was, heading over to them. Annoyed at her interference, he
wandered off again.
He made his way through the crowds, toward the beach. He slipped into
the shadows and hid, but he knew he would not be able to confront his foe
until he dealt with this obstacle called Ryoko. As she stood there,
turning her head this way and that, 'Naoki' stepped up behind her and
pressed the tips of his fingers against the small of her back.
"Don't move," he warned her. "Place your hands behind your head nice
and slow."
Ryoko moved her hands into the requested position and asked him what
the heck he was doing there.
"The space pirate Ryoko, case #80812029 I believe?"
Ryoko was astonished. This wasn't Kain after all, but a member of...
"The Galaxy Police!" She gasped. "So, are you working with Kiyone and
Mihoshi?"
"Gimme a break." He sighed, in exasperation. "I must admit Kiyone's not
half bad, but Mihoshi... puh-lease!"
"So, what's the deal then?"
"I'm a special operative assigned to cases involving the most serious of
the criminals that the Galaxy Police are hired to deal with." He explained.
"They sent you after Kain?" Ryoko asked.
"No." He replied. "Actually, Kain tried to kill me, but lashed out at
me with a temporal energy blast by mistake."
"Wow!" Ryoko was amazed. "I've never met anyone who time-travelled by
accident before."
"Now, let me ask you something," he scratched her spine, gently, to
remind her that his hand was still pressed against her back. She laughed,
ticklishly, and squirmed a little. "What are you doing here?"
"We've also come to get Kain away from Achika." Ryoko told him. "Hey,
why don't we team up? We could really use someone with your skill."
"I work alone." He replied.
"Against Kain?"
"Especially against Kain." He told her. "I've seen too many good people
die by Kain's hand and I will not risk another person's life."
"But you'll risk your own?"
"I can take him."
"Oh, right! And just who do you think you are anyhow?"
The boy reached up and pulled off the mask he had been wearing. Beneath
was the bat-like face of a member of a species that was all but extinct.
Known throughout the Galaxy, except on this primitive world, for their
speed, stamina, and highly evolved senses, the Draalthi had been a benign
race, not despite their highly attuned senses, but because of them. The
whistle of artillery fire hurt their ears and their eyes were hypersensitive
to the flashes that came with laser-fire or explosions. Hunters by nature,
they were highly adept at hunting down prey of any kind.
And then there was Lt. Trakal, a Draalthi who's senses had been
heightened even further than most by implants given to him by the Galaxy
Police. But the implants and training he'd recieved had eliminated the
usual negative reaction to high noises and bright lights. A Draalthi who,
rumor had it, was half-Juraian. Who had, in fact, been the very Draalthi
Kagato had been seeking when he'd destroyed Ratala IV and decimated his
race.
It was a crime that Trakal had never forgiven. That he would never
forgive. He'd tracked Kagato for months, and had been the only survivor
from Whiterock's attack fleet nearly a year before Kain had escaped. He
had been kept in the hospital for weeks that time, for physical injuries,
and had been greatly annoyed when he was finally released to learn that
many of his colleagues had been spreading rumors to the affect that he'd
been in so long for psychological evaluations. Some of the particularly
nasty rumors said he'd been committed and that he'd been overcome by grief
and guilt over the death of Fleet Commander Whiterock.
Some of the people who'd said that had been speaking in high registers
and limping a lot the day after Trakal was finally released from the
infirmiry.
And it was this Trakal that Ryoko was now face to face with. Looking
at the markings on his face, she did have to admit to herself that he could
have been part-Juraian at that.
"Trakal!"
Trakal nodded.
"Wait! Don't go!"
"I have to face Kain and make him pay for what he did."
"Then face him with us. Even you can't take him on alone."
"What if you die?"
"An acceptable loss."
"It won't be an acceptable loss to Tanaka." Ryoko pointed out.
Trakal blinked. Ryoko was right, he had to admit. But he had to make
Kain pay. He couldn't just dismiss it.
"If you team up with us, we can take him out."
"And what do you propose we do? Stick him in the elevator with Mihoshi?"
Ryoko laughed and soon Trakal had joined in. "Hardly." Ryoko finally
said. "Come on. I'm supposed to meet the others back at the hotel. You may
want to put your mask back on. I think you're cute without it, but..."
Trakal slumped in despair. Ryoko was right, Tanaka wouldn't love his
true face. He was handsome enough as far as his species was concerned, but
Tanaka would think him hideous, a disgusting freak. He'd have to spend his
entire life hidden behind a mask.
"Hey, cheer up!" Ryoko told him. "It can't be all that bad."
"Can't it?" Trakal asked. "My family's dead. My friends are dead. The
girl I love only loves me because she thinks I'm someone else..."
"Okay, so it is that bad. But look at it this way. That means it can
only get better, right?"
Trakal shrugged, still gazing out at the ocean in despair.
"We need you, Lieutenant." Ryoko told him. "Please?"
Trakal thought about it. Kain was violent, and very dangerous. But was
the risk great enough to justify teaming up with a criminal such as Ryoko?
Did Trakal want to risk his reputation? Then Trakal realized that his
reputation wasn't really that great anyhow. He followed Ryoko back to the
hotel room.
Ayeka yelped in fright when she saw Trakal's undisguised form for the
first time and nearly fainted. Ryoko chortled, gleefully, at her rival's
distress, but Trakal stretched out a hand, casually, and placed it over
Ryoko's mouth. Now it was Ayeka who, having overcome her initial fear, was
laughing. Trakal moved his hand away from Ryoko's mouth, revealing a piece
of duct tape now stretched over it. Ryoko looked mighty cross as she stood
there and made a lot of muffled noises which Ayeka was sure were probably
words she didn't want little Sasami to be hearing anyhow.
Tenchi walked into the room, took one look at Trakal, and fainted.
"You really have a way with people, don't you?" Washu asked him.
Trakal blinked at her. "You don't seem too unnerved."
"Why should I be unnervered?" She smiled. "I am Washu! The most
brilliant mind in the universe!"
"So, how come I found Kain before you?"
"Hmph," Washu snorted, "even Mihoshi could find someone if they were
right in front of her."
"Just what are you implying?"
"Oh nothing. Just that its hard not to know who you're dealing with
when you already know they're here. Kain brought you here, that's the
only reason you know he's the culprit."
"Miss Washu," Ayeka asked, "if Kain brought him here, how do we know
he's not one of Kain's servants?"
"Kain doesn't have any servants." Trakal replied. "He's too much of a
loner."
"How do you know?" Ryoko asked, eyeing him with deepening suspicion.
"I studied Kain's profile just after I got here." Trakal explained.
"From where?" Kiyone asked. "I had to get Washu to link to the Yagami
and that's in our home time-period. So where did you get your information?"
"I was downloading a copy of the Kain file from the Galaxy Police main
terminal into my internal computer when I was abducted." Trakal explained.
"What do you mean 'abducted'. I thought Kain grabbed you
accidentally?" Ryoko eyed him even more suspiciously, if such a thing
were possible.
The others waited for his reply.
"Never mind that. Whether Kain brought me here deliberately or
by accident is not the issue."
"It is if you're working for him." Ryoko pointed out.
It was a valid point, and they really didn't know all that much
about Trakal. Special Section was barely more than a rumor to the rest
of the Galaxy Police, including Kiyone and Mihoshi, so they had no way
of knowing he was truly who he claimed. Still, the accusation that he
would *ever* do anything to harm the Galaxy Police stung him deeply.
Blushing in anger under his fur, he turned on Ryoko. "HOW DARE YOU
ACCUSE ME OF BETRAYING THE GALAXY POLICE!?" he bellowed in a torrent
of rage. A weeks worth of rage flooded out from him as he openned fire
on Ryoko.
Ryoko laughed and dodged this way and that with the greatest of
ease while Tenchi watched whatever had been behind her get destroyed by
the blasts fired by the ticked off Trakal. Tenchi groaned as he added
the damaged items to the hotel bill.
Eventually, Ryoko got Trakal close enough to Ayeka for the
Princess to encase the Operative in a forcefield.
Washu went over to him and deactivated the weapons system of
his cyberarm. Trakal started to protest, but Washu waved and a moment
later his muzzle was held shut with duct tape.
<continued in the next post>
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|| PER^TIVE
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